


a bad day at regent's park

by words_unravel



Series: stray cat strut [3]
Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Animals, Car Accidents, Found Family, Homelessness, Other, Street Cats, cat!louis, dog!liam
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-04
Updated: 2015-11-04
Packaged: 2018-04-29 21:20:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5142830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/words_unravel/pseuds/words_unravel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Liam tilts his head, eyes wide with concern. His coat, a rich chocolate brown, is stupidly bright in the sun. Louis finds it annoying. </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	a bad day at regent's park

* * *

Louis’ just caught the scent of something particularly appealing, head lifted to sniff out the direction it’s coming from when he’s startled by a loud noise behind him. He whips around, tail straight up and fur on end, with his claws ready to attack. However, the low growl in his throat ends in a startled hiccup when he sees who it is. 

“Hi! Hello there, do you remember me?” 

It’s the dog from the other day, the one that had made Louis tumble about in the rubbish like he was an awkward kitten again. Louis’ not impressed. Sitting back on his haunches, he lifts a paw, unsheathing his claws a couple of times before giving it a good lick. In the distance, he can hear shouting. He ignores it, and the dog, digging his teeth into a claw that’s been stubbornly refusing to shed. 

“I caught your scent whilst we were walking — I’m Liam, by the way. What’s your name?” He barely pauses, adding, “I wanted to come make sure you were okay—”

That has Louis’ attention and he snaps his head up. “Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

Liam tilts his head, eyes wide with concern. His coat, a rich chocolate brown, is stupidly bright in the sun. Louis finds it annoying. 

“You took a pretty bad tumble the other day,” he finally says. “Once, Harry was trying to see what Nick was doing in the rain room and he slipped and fell in. I’ve not heard such a racket; it sounded like Harry was dying and Nick was shouting and—”

“It’s a shower,” Louis interrupts. Liam tilts his head to the other side, confusion in the shift of his ears. “The rain room,” he explains. “It’s called a shower.”

Liam’s eyes go bright and Louis’ certain he’s going to knock himself over, wagging his tail so hard. It’s sort of endearing, how excited Liam gets. “You’re so smart!” Liam yaps. Louis catches himself preening at that and stops, scowling. 

“Well, obviously you haven’t learnt anything else, have you?” he snaps. “Still sneaking up on cats.”

“Oh.” Liam looks a bit sad at that and Louis decidedly _doesn’t_ feel like a heel, nope. Still, he may be sharp-tempered, but normally he’s not _mean_. 

Trying to distract Liam, whose ears have drooped even lower, Louis says quickly, “What are you doing out here on your own anyway? Wouldn’t think someone with a ball and chain around their neck would be allowed out alone.”

It takes him a moment, but a moment later Liam laughs. “It’s not a ball and chain, silly; it’s a collar! Says I belong to Nick—oh!”

Liam whips around at that, barely missing Louis with his giant tail, and barks loudly, “Nick! Nick! Over here, Nick!”

It’s so loud, Liam’s bark, his enthusiasm overwhelming enough that before Louis can properly process it, someone’s stooping down on one knee beside them. Liam’s just saying Nick’s name over and over again, doing his best to lick every available patch of skin on the man’s face. 

“Yes, yes,” he laughs, scrubbing his hands on both sides of Liam’s face. “I love you, too, you silly dog. Now please stop running away, oka—” He startles to a stop, catching sight of Louis. “What’ve you got here, Liam?” Louis goes absolutely still, wary. 

“Made a new friend, I see,” Nick chuckles. “Would’ve thought Harry was more than enough for you.” 

_His hair’s ridiculous_ , Louis thinks. He’s got a nice laugh though. And his voice is warm. That’s the only reason he does put a claw in the hand that slowly reaches out toward him. That, and he uses just the right amount of pressure when sliding his hands over the top of Louis’ head — not too hard and not too soft — like he knows what Louis’ll like. 

“You really like that, huh?” Liam says. Louis can hear his tail thumping against the grass. He doesn’t answer, too busy reveling in Nick’s touch. 

“It’s Louis,” he purrs after a minute, stretching up into the fingers scritching behind his ears, finally answering the question Liam’d asked at the very beginning. Everything’s fuzzy around the edges, familiar. It’s been _so_ long since someone’s petted him. Ages, it seems. Not since— 

Louis shakes his head, dislodging Nick’s hand. The old memory throws him; he’s not thought about that in over a _year_.

“Isn’t he great, my Nick?” Liam says, not sensing the change in Louis’ mood. Then to Nick, “Isn’t he great too, Nick? We should totally take him home with us, right? Nick? Isn’t that a good idea?”

Nick’s laughing again, a hand curling into Liam’s fur as Liam noses at whatever part of Nick he can reach, face and hands and knees, excitedly trying to get his point across. It must work because a second later, Nick’s standing up. “I suppose we can call around and see if anyone’s missing a cat—”

_No_. No, Louis’ not doing that again. He’s _not_. Freedom is far, far better than being left alone again. He’s off like a shot at that, streaking through Nick’s legs and ignoring Liam’s shout. 

“Wait! Louis, wait!” It’s obvious Liam’s come after him, silly dog. Over Liam’s barking, he can hear Nick hollering as well. 

_Stupid, they’re all so stupid_ , Louis thinks, darting across the road, ignoring the blaring horns. _Stupid dog thinking humans even care._ He’ll find out, Louis knows. He’ll find out the hard way that they always leave—

There’s the screech of tires behind him, a pained yelp that’s cut short, and Louis turns so quickly he nearly tumbles over his own feet. 

There’s shouting now and Louis catches a glimpse of Nick, his voice frantic as he calls for his dog. Through the legs of the growing crowd, he sees a flash of brown that can only be Liam. He’s not moving and Louis feels sick to his stomach. He can hear Nick still, somehow over the increasing murmurs of the passers-by. His voice sounds wretched.

“Stupid dog,” Louis mutters as the crowd swallows them from his view.

It’s not his fault, he tells himself as he slinks away. It’s _not._


End file.
